Actually, I was going to say that's a great fit if he has the money, Niko. I was trying to keep the budget to the same as his first suggestion. Now you know what I'll say next: why not throw in either a 35 1.8 or 50 1.8 while you're at it? We are predictable, aren't we? ;-)

I put one of those pictures from my D90 up for you, bland. The picture is here uncropped but resized and here cropped but 100%. The focus looks bang on to me, judging both by his face and also by the sidewalk beneath him. I know there's probably more than a factor of 2 between his speed and a pro marathoner, so don't sue me if you buy a D90 and AF isn't accurate enough. ;-)
edit: I found the subject distance in the exif. It's 12.3 ft (3.76m).

Good shot jonny. The thing is, as I said bland, you will like the D90's AF far better than the D60's which has the same one from the D40. I've used all three AF systems we're speaking of here. It's just that the D300s's will be accurate more often and THATS if you're shooting unpredictable things. For people shots, your AF in the D90 will be spot on most of the time. I shoot people with my D90, not my D300.

I love my D90 and will continue to use it. When I can afford to buy the D300s, I will buy one, but I have quite a few older Nikon lenses I'd like to use and the D300s meters with them. Other than that, I'm delight with the D90.

I've used the 16-85, 70-300 VR, 35/1.8, along with various macros and the 10-24. You can see various shots at flickr (with complete lens details) at pictureted.

Like I said, when I shoot people...or for that matter architecture, landscape or any scenery, I almost always use my D90. I think if I weren't a birder, I wouldn't have a D300. This class of camera is really geared for the wildlife photographer which is a real niche class of photographer. I think a D90 will work fine for you despite my personal favorite of the DXXX class.

This is my own personal opinion and how I would have purchased. Alpha also has a D300 so you should hear his input as well.

For the record, I liked my D300 better than the D90, too, gentoo. I'll be interested in seeing how my D90 holds up because after 2 years of hard use my D300 was starting to show signs of wear, specifically the rubber was peeling back on the grip. But I didn't ever drop it like in alpha's stories. I should mention that the D90 has made my home video workflow about 5 times easier (transfer from DV tape to the computer is at real time).

Technically, I never truly "dropped" it. I've been a lot more careful ever since a little ordeal I had with my D70 a couple months before I got my D300. OK, maybe not, but I haven't dropped it. Yet.

But it's hit the ground hard. A lot. That's usually me slipping, tripping on something, or whatever, and falling with the camera in my hands. The worst that's ever happened is that the hood on my 80-200mm got a crack in it. My D300 and my lenses have held up fine.

I looked at my D300, and I think I can see the beginnings of the rubber-peeling. Ah well.

"I even had a veterinarian friend in Africa who specializes in elephant care send me some phallus hide from the Loxodonta Africana (known for its flexibility and grip when wet) which I then had a local taxidermist apply to my camera in place of the original rubber. It took a lot of paperwork with the U.S. Dept. of Fish and Game but at least it doesn't peel off on my D1H as the rubber does."

KR is saying he replaced his cameras "grip" with the skin from an elephant's "wiener"! KR is just BSing with you Alpha! He's making this up just like a lot of stuff he writes about. This is exactly why you shouldn't read KR!

No KR said it and you mentioned it, so thank yourself. I just saved you from trying to be all cool and mentioning it to that girl you like without realizing what you are talking about just like you did here!